5 Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce
on Aug 10, 2023, Updated May 17, 2024
The easiest way to make homemade nacho cheese! This recipe is so simple and comes together in just 5 minutes!
This is the best easy nacho cheese!
This 5 minute nacho cheese sauce is one of my favorite things to make for Mexican night!
All you need is heavy cream, cheese, and pantry ingredients to make this simple delicious cheese sauce.
Ideal when served with tortilla chips, over nachos, on tacos, quesadillas, mexican themed casseroles, you name it!
Nacho Cheese Sauce Ingredients
- heavy cream
- colby jack cheese
- paprika
- garlic powder
- chili powder
- cornstarch
How to make nacho cheese sauce
Step 1: add the heavy cream to a pan and warm it to medium heat, but do not boil.
Step 2: Once your heavy cream is warm, add the paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, cornstarch, and freshly grated colby jack cheese.
Stir or whisk the cheese sauce often for three to five minutes, until thick. The longer you stir over low to medium heat, the thicker it becomes.
Using Fresh Grated Cheese
Pre shredded cheese is not the way to go for this recipe, as fresh just tastes so much better and makes a big difference in the quality of the nacho cheese sauce.
For a thicker sauce, just leave it on the heat a little longer, watching and stirring so that it doesn’t burn.
This recipe is similar to my cheese sauce for broccoli, but made with colby jack cheese and mexican spices to create a nacho cheese flavor.
How Do You Make a Quick Cheese Sauce?
The answer is simply: cornstarch. By using this as a thickener, you spend much less time and the taste is just as good!
Once I realized the cornstarch trick, I make all of my quick cheese sauce recipes this way! Cornstarch is now a time saving staple in my home. You can’t taste it, and it makes dinner prep so much easier.
Once we first made this recipe, I had to make it three times in one week because I just could not get enough of it! The homemade nacho cheese just takes nacho night to the next level.
From easy dinners to party appetizers, you really can’t go wrong with a batch of this cheesy goodness!
What to eat with nacho cheese sauce
- nachos
- burrito bowls
- quesadillas
- tacos
- burritos
- stuffed peppers
- roasted veggies
- enchiladas
What is the best cheese for nacho cheese sauce
I find colby jack my favorite, but this sauce would also be delicious with monterey jack cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, or pepper jack cheese.
Nacho Cheese FAQs
We do not recommend this as freshly grated cheese will melt better and result in a smoother sauce.
Leftover nacho cheese sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers in a sauce pan or in the microwave until heated through.
More Dips & Sauces
- Queso Blanco
- Stir Fry Sauce
- Baked Spinach Artichoke Dip
- Chip Dip
- Cream Cheese Bean Dip
- Orange Sauce
- Veggie Dip
5 Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 cups colby jack cheese, freshly grated
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Heat a sauce pan on medium heat and add the heavy cream
- Once the heavy cream begins to get warm, add the freshly grated colby jack cheese, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and corn starch
- Whisk until thick and creamy (around 5 minutes or less). Stir constantly to avoid burning
- Serve the nacho cheese with chips, nachos, tacos, quesadillas, or with any mexican themed dish!
Video
Nutrition
Hello, sounds great.
Can you pre-make this, let it cool, store in the fridge and then heat back up a few days later?
Thanks
You could, but the texture won’t be the same. Since it only takes 5 minutes to make I suggest just enjoying it freshly made for best flavor and texture 🙂
I made the recipe, delicious! But…I decided to jazz it up a bit and added a can of Rotel diced tomatoes & green chilies. Great before amazing after. Love this recipe.
I am planning to make this for a Bridal Shower nacho bar for 30 people. How will it hold up in a crockpot on warm for several hours after I make it? Thanks in advance!
Planning to fix this for an outdoor high school graduation party. I hope to make it a few days in advance and store in refrigerator. On the day of the party that will be held at a park what should I do ? I am going to at least double it and place in a slow cooker. Curious what else you recommend.
Thanks for the recipe and advice !!
I’m not sure how this would do making it a few days in advance. I have made it the day of and placed it immediately in a slow cooker, which was served maybe 1 – 2 hours later. It will need to be stirred often. I’m not sure this would be best for your needs. I suggest looking at my crock pot queso dip, as that’s made to sit in the crock pot for hours. Hope that helps!
I used a pepper Jack cheese and it was so good!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
We just made this with Kerrygold Dunmore cheese and smoked paprika. Everything else was the same. THANK YOU for this recipe. My whole family is happy that we finally made good cheese sauce! This is now a part of our recipe book!
Awesome! So glad your family enjoyed the recipe!
Does it get hard when it cools down to room temp?
Yes, it will solidify as it starts to cool
Hi! Can you tell me How long can i keep it in refrigerator??
Thanks
It should keep for 2 – 3 days in the refrigerator!
I want to serve this at Super Bowl this Sunday. Will it hold up if I put it in a small crockpot on warm?
Hi Cheryl,
Yes that will work. It will need to be stirred to avoid it getting too clumpy. You could also add a little milk if it gets thin. I would suggest doubling the recipe if you want to serve a crowd. I have kept both this recipe and my healthy crockpot queso recipe on warm with good results. Hope that helps!
How did this recipe get reviews and stars if the reader can’t see them?
Hi Laura,
Due to a glitch with my recipe plugin, readers were able to leave star reviews without a comment attached. This has now been resolved. This recipe has also been reviewed on Pinterest as well.
Looks very Delicious I want to make and Try